Catch Me When I Fall
by Brat Monkee
Summary: A prequel to my first Fighting Foodons fic! Takes place when Chase is separated from his sister and friends. Kayla is distraught over her loss and Albert is there to pick up the pieces.


Hi there! Just me again. If you've read my other Foodons fic then you'll know I put it on hold until this one was out! It's a one shot fic about Albert and Kayla in which I make a few references to later. Sorry it's short but it takes place during the time when Chase was separated from the group.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Fighting Foodons or any of it's characters  
  
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"CHASE!!" Kayla cried out from atop the mack-cart. She reached her hound down to him, as if wishing to follow but an arm around her waist held her back. Through teary eyes, she turned around to stare into the solemn eyes of Albert.  
  
"There's nothing you can do now." He murmured softly. Oslo, Pie-tin and his parents were also looking helplessly over to side to see that Chase and his Foodons had disappeared.  
  
"No!" She exclaimed, "We have to go back, we have to find them!" Kayla was in hysterics as she frantically tried to get the mack-cart to turn around.  
  
Albert forcefully placed both hands on her shoulders and shook, "Listen to me Kayla! You can't do anything unless you want to end up the same way!" He snapped angrily.  
  
Choking back a sob, Kayla buried her face in her hands and let her tears flow, "No, no, no. Chase, Papa, come back." She whispered brokenly. Albert placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort and was surprised when she flew into his arms, sobbing.  
  
Blushing, he shakily wrapped his arms around her and sighed, 'Chase, why'd you have to do that? You can't leave your sister and friends behind.' He thought. Slowly, the mack-cart flew away from the lab and into the distance, towards land.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Pie-tin's parent's had set out back to their laboratory in hopes of breaking new ground. This left only Oslo, Pie-tin, Kayla and Albert. At the moment, Albert was up against the mack-cart and creating some type of meal for them, "Great while Chase is no where to be found, I'm stuck baby- sitting." He mumbled to himself.  
  
Unfortunately, Kayla heard him and bowed her head, 'He's right. Albert shouldn't have to be stuck here around us anymore.' She thought. Standing she walked past the older boy, "I'm not that hungry, I'm going for a walk." She mumbled.  
  
Albert stopped and watched her go with a frown, 'Something's not right.' He thought but let her be, for now. Pie-tin watched as well, "What's her deal?" He asked, "Oh well, more food for me!" He exclaimed and Albert sweatdropped.  
  
Meanwhile, Kayla was walking through the streets of the town they were in and found herself infront of the beach. She made her way to the sand, cooled by the setting sun, and set down. She stared out into the distance with tears stirring in her eyes, 'Oh how I hate the ocean.' She thought vengefully. The tears began to fall as she wiped them away harshly.  
  
As the sun shrank into a small slit on the horizon, she heard footsteps come up from behind her. She craned her neck to the side slightly and was able to see a pair of baggy pants and a white apron, "What do you want, Albert?" She asked tonelessly.  
  
He sat down next to her with a soft thud, "I was wondering where you had gotten of to." He grinned coyly, hoping to stir something within her, but frowned when her face remained passive, "So...what are you thinkin' about?"  
  
She kept her gaze steadily forwards and had no clue that tears began to pool in her eyes again, "Just..stuff."  
  
"What kind of stuff?" He asked casually, already knowing the answer.  
  
"Like my family." She whispered and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she turned to face Albert with a distraught look, "Why did they all leave me, Albert? Was it-was it me? Did they die because of me?"  
  
"Don't even think that!" He exclaimed, "We don't even know if they're actually dead yet."  
  
She stared up at him with disbelieving sadness, "I just don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know what I'm going to do. I've depended on my brother and my dad my whole life and now they're both gone. Who am I going to fall back on?!" She cried and broke. The tears came and were accompanied by harsh sobs, "Who..am I going..to trust?"  
  
Seeing no better method, Albert scooted over and held the younger girl in his arms, "Me, Kayla. You can fall back on me. I won't leave you alone, I promise." He whispered gently.  
  
Hearing this, Kayla's sobs ceased and she looked up into his serious blue eyes, "Do you mean that?"  
  
He nodded and smiled, "Besides, Chase would kill me if I left you alone with Pie-tin. That kid couldn't cook his was out of a nut." Kayla had to laugh and it felt good.  
  
Albert smiled as she laughed out loud from within his arms. Her eyes were still sparkling from unshed tears that were now drying up. Suddenly, Albert frowned and froze with reeling shock, 'I'm in love with Kayla.' He thought, 'I love Chase's sister.' Shaking those thoughts deep within his brain, he stood and offered a hand down to Kayla, "Come on, we've got lots of work to do."  
  
"Work? What kind of work?" She asked with innocent eyes as she accepted his hand.  
  
"Why, finding Chase and Chef Jack." His coy grin returned with his mischievous glint. Nodding dumbly, they began to walk back into the city. In the distance the sun had disappeared behind the horizon line and the moon began to show its face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
About a week later when the group had reunited with Chase and Jumbo Lydia, everyone was saying their good-byes, including Albert, "So you're really leavin' huh?" Chase turned to his new friend who nodded in return.  
  
"You know you're welcome to travel with us." Kayla piped up with a hopeful, almost pleading look.  
  
He turned to her with a hidden apology, "I need to travel on my own for a while and become a master chef."  
  
"Oh, ok. I understand." She lied with a forced smile, "Well, Albert. It was nice knowing you." She turned on her heel and left the others quite confused.  
  
"She's been strange all week." Pie-tin grumbled.  
  
Albert glowered at the kid but said nothing to him, "Well Chase, I hope to see you again and have another Foodons battle with you." He gave a wave and turned in the opposite directing that Kayla went and marched off.  
  
As he disappeared into the woods, he immediately made a sharp veer to the side and took off running. He came to a large tree which Kayla sat under, on the verge of tears, "Kayla, tears don't go well with you." He called softly.  
  
She jerked her head up, "It's not fair, why are you leaving? You said that you would always be there for me to fall back on." She snapped.  
  
Standing a few feet away form her, he smiled faintly, "You don't need me now. Your brother is back safe and here for you."  
  
"But what about you?" Albert was taken aback by that statement, "You were the one there to help me out and you promised!" She cried, "YOU PROMISED!!" She screamed loudly.  
  
Albert winced at her harsh words. Kayla was right, he did promise, but she couldn't see that she didn't need him anymore, "I know, and I will keep my promise but from afar."  
  
She paused to look at him, "You have to swear to me, swear that you will be there."  
  
"I swear it, I will never let you fall." He stated and pulled her to her feet.  
  
She stood uncertainly and nodded. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small pendant which held a small broken crystal shard attached, "Take this," She pressed it into his palm and enclosed him fingers around it, "I have the other half. I bought it in town a few days ago. This way, you'll always remember your promise to me."  
  
He smiled and patted her head, "Of course I'll remember. You're a kind of hard person to forget."  
  
She blushed faintly, "Now go on, my brother will probably be here soon seeing as how I shouted so loud."  
  
With one last burst of courage, Albert leaned over and kissed her cheek quickly. In a flash, he had taken off and was barely seen, "Take care Kayla!" He called and was gone.  
  
She stood there, shocked for a moment. Kayla had just received her first real kiss from a boy and was bright red. Suddenly, Chase and the others burst through the clearing, "Kayla, are you ok?!" Chase exclaimed, "We heard you shout."  
  
Shaking her head she replied, "Nope, just the wind." Her smile lingered as she looked to the distance with hope.  
  
*Owari*  
  
So? What'd you think of my story? Please review and make me happy!!!! 


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